“The issue of tribal sovereignty, which is just as important as the environmental hazard, is getting lost in the pipeline story.

Too many people tend to think of tribal sovereignty as something that’s allocated, which can be given or taken away depending on the circumstance. But it’s not. The Standing Rock Sioux Nation’s tribal sovereignty, which essentially precedes colonization, is permanent, and it’s recognized (as opposed to granted) by the federal government.

The nation is concerned that its waters would be contaminated and that its sacred sites will be desecrated by this pipeline project. On the surface, that claim can easily look like a specific racial group got together to lodge an environmental complaint, but there’s a lot more than that: It’s actually a tribal sovereign nation that’s making an important claim about self-determination and its ability to survive and exist in the future.” (Auro Bogado, quoted in Vox)

John Eagle Sr, a Standing Rock Sioux tribal historic preservation officer, summed up the case for Indian Country Today:

We have worked for two years to block this access based on Section 106 of the Federal Historical Preservation Act that states tribes can attach cultural and religious significance to a site. Army Corps of Engineers is in direct violation of this law. ACOE did not conduct public hearings. They did not include any Tribes that may have cultural ties to the area to join the consultation.